Winter is definitely here! We’ve had less snowfall in recent years than is typical for Bucks and Montgomery Counties. But we always seem to get at least a few storms that impact road conditions. When I talk to parents about driving lessons for their teens, they usually ask about how lessons work in different types of weather and visibility. Some parents are nervous about their teen driving in anything but clear skies, while others are hoping I’ll give a lesson in every kind of weather.
In reality, there are some lessons we don’t offer at Safe Driving Coach, and there are some lessons that are completely dependent on Mother Nature. During the winter months when there is less daylight, we coach some lessons after dark. We usually don’t cancel a scheduled lesson for rain unless we’re dealing with flooding, damaging winds, or other serious issues. At the same time, we don’t control the rain, so we can’t guarantee that a student will get a rain-driving lesson. We will cancel lessons in snow and icy conditions.
If we are in the middle of a lesson when snow is falling lightly and not sticking to the roads, we won’t stop. However, once snow starts to accumulate, we do not have our students drive. While we agree that teens do need to gain some snow driving experience, that is a lesson that we simply cannot deliver for safety reasons.
Where Should Snow Driving Lessons Take Place?
Parents or grandparents can work on snow-driving lessons with their teens. We encourage you to wait until your teen has several months of car handling experience under their belt. They should already have a good feel for how the car reacts to their actions on the pedals and steering wheel. This means it should be a car they have already driven. In short, the snow should be the only new element to the entire lesson.
Timing is very important for snow-driving lessons. Try to plan for early in the snowfall or as it is coming to an end. What you don’t want is to get caught in fast accumulating snow. Think about all the typical weather warnings - if you don’t have to drive anywhere, don’t. Getting a lesson in is not necessarily a need, so don’t take the risk of being out on the road against the advice of your local officials.
The experienced driver should be behind the wheel while traveling on public roads. Head to a very large parking lot or open space that doesn’t have curbs or light poles for your practice time. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t trespass or use any property that has private signage posted. If you can’t think of a safe location that’s appropriate for the lesson, err on the side of caution and stay home.
What is the Purpose of Snow Driving Lessons?
Driving in the snow is not about the snow itself. Just like rain and wind, it’s about applying safe driving skills to control the car. When outside forces have an impact on the car, drivers need to know how to respond and maintain control. That’s really the bottom line. What happens differently when someone turns the wheel or steps on the brake in various conditions?
In the rain, we coach students to notice that it might take longer to slow down, or that the car might move side to side a little bit. They learn to do things just a little differently to control for wet roads. With snow, it’s very similar. Snowy roads are different from regular wet roads, though. Snow is much more slippery, and it interferes with the tires’ contact with the road.
In the big empty lot, these are the things parents should teach their teens to notice. This doesn’t require driving at normal road speeds. Keep it very slow and controlled, just teaching your teen how to notice the difference in how the car handles. Whether they are turning the wheel, pushing the brake, or pulling out from a stopped position, they’ll quickly understand just how differently they need to maintain control of the car in the snow.
Safe Driving Includes Knowing When to Stay Home
The most important aspect of a snow-driving lesson is demonstrating the seriousness of these conditions to your teen driver. Without relevant life experience, teens don’t always understand that snow is entirely different from rain on the ground. They can start to learn this as a passenger if it’s not yet the right time for a snow-driving lesson. For the most part, driving in the snow should be limited to necessity, not opportunity. Some basic lessons can also be taught right at home, such as making sure to remove all the snow off the entire car, it’s the law in PA. You can also look up techniques for what to do when your car is stuck in the snow and watch those videos with your teen.
If you’re nervous about teaching your teen to drive even in perfect weather, get my Parent’s Survival Guide for New Teen Drivers. This resource is designed to prepare you to coach your child with confidence. You should also think about registering your teen for Safe Driving Lessons with one of our professional coaches. We coach teens to maintain control and awareness in a variety of settings so that they can become lifelong safe drivers.
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